Objective 6
A nurse should maintain the authority and reputation of her profession. The nurse’s behavior supports respect for the profession in any situation, both during work and outside it, the culture of behavior, and relationships with colleagues, patients, and other citizens (Nsiah et al., 2019). In order to promote advocacy and professional accountability, nurses must demonstrate their professional values in all collaborative interactions. A nurse has a personal moral responsibility to maintain, implement, and improve nursing standards (Nsiah et al., 2019). It is unethical to use outdated methods and technologies of care where more advanced technologies could be used. An insufficient level of knowledge cannot serve as a mitigating factor in the provision of low-quality nursing care. The right and duty of a nurse to defend moral, economic, and professional independence personally or through participation in professional associations and groups. Active activity in professional associations serves the profession’s development and is ethically approved.
A nurse is obliged to strictly perform her functions to protect confidential information about patients, in whatever form it is stored. A nurse respects patients’ choices even if they contradict expectations and are potentially directed against the patient’s interests (Nsiah et al., 2019). The patient should be provided with comprehensive information about the consequences and risks of their choice (Nsiah et al., 2019). If the current situation does not fall under the exceptions established by law, the patient’s decision determines the tactics of further nursing care. Thus, any nurse collaborations must meet the necessary professional standards.
This is due to the fact that medical staff is an essential link in the interaction between the state and the community regarding the promotion of health. Consequently, this objective meets the AACN Essentials of Baccalaureate Education: Essential VI: Interprofessional Communication and Collaboration for Improving, Essential VIII: Professionalism and Professional Values Patient Health Outcomes (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2008). A nurse must constantly observe and maintain professional standards of activity determined by the health management body and professional medical associations. Therefore, compliance with professional principles and standards is important in nursing. They are aimed at maintaining partnerships with colleagues and patients. Thus, it is necessary to adhere to the principles of communication. In addition, it is necessary to know the labor code and professional responsibilities within the medical organization. This is necessary to maintain proper reporting and comply with internal regulations.
Objective 7
Communication in nursing is one of the essential skills necessary for the quality of a nurse’s activity. Patients may have a variety of communication needs, and they may need advice, consolation, support, counseling, or just an opportunity to share their experiences. The value of psychotherapeutic influence possible with effective communication is well known, and its result sometimes surpasses all other treatment methods (Sibiya, 2018). Communication skills are necessary to gain the trust of patients, and their families, and interact with doctors and other specialists involved in the treatment process (Sibiya, 2018). When communicating, the nurse receives all information about the patient and transmits information to the patient about his condition, treatment, and other aspects.
However, the most important thing is that in the communication process between the nurse and the patient, a trusting relationship arises that helps the patient properly relate to the information received and come to the need to change the usual lifestyle. Written communication is essential for a nurse, as they often have to be used in practice, giving the patient written recommendations on preparing for various types of studies, especially those with complex multi-day training; instructions on taking medications (Sibiya, 2018). Written communication is crucial for the elderly, whose memory is impaired, and they tend to forget oral explanations quickly.
The use of information technology in professional activities allows them to automate the workplace of a nurse. Consequently, this objective meets the AACN Essentials of Baccalaureate Education: Essential VI: Interprofessional Communication and Collaboration for Improving Patient Health Outcomes, Essential IV: Information Management and Application of Patient Care Technology (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2008). Trying to solve problems, healthcare is increasingly turning to information technologies, which it sees as an opportunity to manage resources, reduce queues, eliminate medical errors, and ensure a modern level of treatment. Information technologies make it possible to provide comprehensive data analysis and optimization of decisions during medical examination, examination, diagnosis, and prognosis of the course of diseases. Due to a large amount of information, medicine at the present stage needs computers. Therefore, nurses need to be able to navigate various information systems for tracking the health of patients.
Objective 8
In the context of healthcare reform, medical and preventive organizations should guarantee the population high-quality medical care. New technologies provide the need to improve knowledge, which must be maintained throughout the professional career. In order to provide the population with high-quality nursing care, it is necessary to support and develop scientific research in nursing (Mlambo et al., 2021). They allow specialists to expand their knowledge, analyze and critically evaluate existing practices, and clarify the effectiveness and usefulness of new or proposed options for organizing nursing activities. A nurse should strive to participate in research activities to increase knowledge in their profession. This is reflected in the growth of the volume of medical information and the speed of its updating, the emergence of a variety of highly functional medicines, and high-tech methods of diagnosis, treatment, care, awareness-raising, and requests of patients themselves (Mlambo et al., 2021). In addition to the task of improving the level of individual professional education, the goals of continuing education are to preserve and develop the competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) of each medical worker necessary to work with the constantly changing needs of patients.
The tasks also include the development of a health protection system that responds to new scientific discoveries in medicine and the increasing demands of medical organizations and society. Consequently, this objective meets the AACN Essentials of Baccalaureate Education: Essential IX: Baccalaureate Generalist Nursing Practice, Essential VIII: Professionalism and Professional Values, Essential I: Liberal Education for Baccalaureate Generalist Nursing Practice (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2008). In order to carry out proper practice throughout their professional life, nurses need to meet the modern level through continuous training in any direction of continuing education (Mlambo et al., 2021). In order to provide high-quality medical care to patients, the content of continuing professional education should be aimed at strengthening the role and improving their competence, both clinical skills and theoretical knowledge. The motivation for continuing professional education for a nurse is due to three main factors:
- professional commitment to providing optimal care for each patient;
- the obligation to take into account the requirements of employers and society;
- the need to maintain a sense of satisfaction received from work.
References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2008). The essentials of baccalaureate education for professional nursing practice.
Mlambo, M., Silén, C., & McGrath, C. (2021). Lifelong learning and nurses’ continuing professional development, a metasynthesis of the literature. BMC Nursing, 20(1). Web.
Nsiah, C., Siakwa, M., & Ninnoni, J. P. K. (2019). Registered Nurses’ description of patient advocacy in the clinical setting. Nursing Open, 6(3), 1124–1132. Web.
Sibiya, M. N. (2018). Effective communication in nursing. Nursing. Web.